Amy Wise has owned the DoodyCalls location in Houston, Texas, for over 17 years and has been a BuyMax member for as long as she can remember. Her location is quite large, with about 750-800 customers and 13 trucks on the road.
Over the past few years, Amy's auto insurance premium has skyrocketed, leading her to look into other options this year to help alleviate that cost. We sat down with Amy to hear about her journey and see how Gallagher Insurance saved her over $16,000 a year on auto insurance!
Why Switch to Gallagher Insurance for Auto Insurance 
In 2017, Houston, TX, experienced severe flooding from Hurricane Harvey, and hundreds of thousands of vehicles were lost. Since then, the market in the area has not been great for auto insurance, and Amy and her business have felt the brunt of that.
Amy's auto insurance has slowly been climbing up to astronomical amounts. Three or four years ago, she was paying $30,000 per year for fleet insurance. Last year, she paid $45,000, which was a big jump, and when she received her quote for renewal, it was up to $50,000 a year!
"We were already struggling because of the cost from the year before so that extra $5,000 was a lot. That would be 50 additional customers we would have to add to pay that bill. Insurance is out of control in many areas right now," Amy said.
She decided to go to Gallagher Insurance and get a quote for auto insurance. They looked at her current policy and agreed that it was very high. "That is just what the market is right now. I don't have a lot of wrecks or claims on my insurance," Amy explained.
Switching Pays Off, Big Time
When Amy got the quote back from Gallagher Insurance, she was ecstatic. Her new policy would cost her $33,000 a year, a savings of $16,000! To get that amount of money back in her pocket, she would have had to have added an additional 160 customers.
"Business is hard right now with inflation, so to get a $16,000 savings is a huge deal. Our monthly payments went from $4,400 to about $2,500. This savings has been very impactful on my day-to-day business in these tight times. It was an amazing win, and I really needed that," Amy shared with us.
Onboarding with Gallagher Insurance
Amy reached out to her Gallagher Insurance representative to get the quote process started. She also recommends going directly to your BuyMax Customer Success Specialist. "Anything I need for BuyMax, my first call is to our CSS, Ashley Kelly, and she can direct me easily to where I need to go."
Since Amy's location has been in business for a while, she knew exactly what Gallagher Insurance would need to provide her with a quote, so she was prepared. They worked on a very tight timeline before her current policy expired, so she needed results fast.
Gallagher Insurance was able to provide a quote in less than three weeks. "That is pretty impressive," Amy said. "When most companies put out the insurance bid, it can take a month or longer. From the time Gallagher Insurance put out the bid until the time I signed on the dotted line, it was a turnaround time of 3 weeks."
Advice to Other Franchisees Considering Gallagher Insurance
Amy shared that she was able to get such a great rate on her auto insurance for a few reasons. "When agents bid policies, they are all bidding the same thing. Gallagher Insurance's size and Authority Brands buying power allow them to get the best price. The buying power of AB alone is where we can see substantial savings. This is a real reason to go through BuyMax for this service," Amy said. "You should at least shop around since you aren't committed to anything. You should at least look into it."
Another key piece of advice Amy offered to other franchise owners is to know who your BuyMax Customer Success Specialist or Regional Account Manager is. "Information is easy to get lost with so many emails coming at you, and trying to search or remember where you saw that information can be challenging," Amy shared.
"All you need to know is who your BuyMax representative is; save it in your phone and email, and anything you need, just reach out to them, and they will help you. Don't try to remember all the names of vendors. I know I can send Ashley an email and get a quick response of what I am looking for. It takes the pressure off me to remember everything."
How Else BuyMax Helps This Location Save Money
One of Amy's other favorite BuyMax programs is AtoB Fuel Cards. She has 13 trucks on the road, so it can add up to significant cost savings. Amy shared that signing up for AtoB was an easy process, as was getting the cards.
If their location ever loses one, calling and requesting a new card is easy. She also explained that they take weekly payments instead of monthly payments, which is better for her business's cash flow.
Amy also takes advantage of Legal Shield, which offers our franchise owners a free 18 minutes of legal advice every month. She said, "It is super easy to use, and you don't have to pay for it or sign up. The 18 minutes may not seem like a lot, but it is plenty of time for a simple HR question, and then you don't have to pay to keep a lawyer on retainer."
If you want to learn more about Gallagher Insurance or other programs and services BuyMax offers, email success@4buymax.com today.
